On Monday, a judge of the Specialised Criminal Court handed down a suspended sentence of three years with five years of probation to the ex-head of the Internal Affairs Inspectorate (UIS) Adrián Szabó, who was charged of corruption. The judge thus approved a plea bargain concluded with the accused on August 17, 2021. The verdict is final and cannot be the subject of an appeal.
The plea bargain also includes a fine of €25,000. If Szabó fails to pay it, a substitute sentence of one year in prison will be imposed on him. He was also banned from holding the powers of a public official for seven years.
Szabó, along with former National Criminal Agency (NAKA) financial police ex-director Bernard Slobodník and ex-NAKA functionary Marián Kučerka, was charged with misusing a public official's powers and corruption activities.
NAKA arrested Szabó on June 3. He was charged with accepting bribes of at least €20,000 and free consumer electronics from Bernard Slobodník , who is the only witness in the case.
From 2016 to 2020 Szabó repeatedly provided information to Bernard Slobodník in order to help him to avoid criminal prosecution. The information concerned the Technopol case and the screening of journalists. The sentenced has expressed regret for his crimes.
